Cushman

High School

Summer Reading Requirements

2025-2026

Reading over the summer is a great way to strengthen comprehension, critical thinking, and vocabulary—giving students a strong start when they return to school. This summer, students enrolled in Essentials, Standard, Honors, and AP English courses are required to read two books and complete one summer assignment based on one of the readings. One book has been selected by the teachers, while the second will be a student choice.

When students return in the fall, they will also be expected to write an in-class essay on the book they did not complete an assignment for. We encourage students to choose books they’re genuinely interested in and to pace their reading throughout the summer.

Happy reading!

The Cushman School wishes you a summer full of stories and special moments!

Read from our elibrary all summer long! Learn about SORA here and how you can access your account.

Incoming Ninth Grade

Essentials/Standard/Honors English I

Read and be prepared to write about The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon upon your return to school.
Also, choose one of the novels below and complete the assignment:
- The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
- The Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Incoming Tenth Grade

Essentials/Standard/Honors English II

Read and be prepared to write about Monster by Walter Dean Myers upon your return to school.
Also, choose one of the novels below and complete the assignment:
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas

Incoming Eleventh Grade

Essentials/Standard/Honors English III

Read and be prepared to write about Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom upon your return to school.
Choose one of the novels below and complete the assignment found by clicking the book title below:
- How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. F
- Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Stephen Covey

Incoming Twelfth Grade

Essentials/Standard/Honors English IV

Read The Burial at Thebes by Seamus Heaney and complete the assignment. (Rubrics)
Also, read one of the novels below:
- The Awakening by Kate Chopin
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Incoming AP English Language Students

Read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Incoming AP English Literature Students

Complete reading journals about two pieces from the list below:
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
- Native Son by Richard Wright
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- Othello by William Shakespeare
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
- Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy